When the Rockets matched the Cavs offer sheet for Kyle Lowry last month, it was seen as a surprise, and met with criticism. Why would you give a backup point guard 4 years and $24 million when your starter is better and the same age? The answer seems pretty simple now.

The starter is available, and the team would like to trade him before his contract runs out after this season.

Aaron Brooks had a terrific season for the Rockets last season in his first full season as a starting point guard in the NBA, but his contract is up after this season, and because of the numbers that he has put been putting up (close to 20 points per game) he will probably be looking for a big contract. While he is a very productive and talented player, I don’t think the Rockets will want to give him the sort of contract because I’m not sure they think he is a true point guard who can run a team. He can definitely score, but that doesn’t make you a point guard. Lowry is that sort of player, so matching the Cavs offer gives the Rockets some insurance if they don’t re-sign Brooks. It also gives the Rockets insurance if they were to trade Brooks.

That brings us to Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony wants out. He’s made that pretty clear to the Nuggets, and they are beginning to understand that they need to make it happen; otherwise they will be next summer’s version of the Cavs. A package headlined by Brooks could very well be good enough to get the job done for the Rockets, who also own assets from the Jared Jeffries trade last February. The Rockets also have expiring contracts to take on Denver salary dumps as they would look to rebuild a year early instead of a year late like Cleveland.

The Rockets have known that Brooks would be a very attractive trade piece at some point, so it only made sense that the Rockets hang on to his very capable backup regardless of the cost because if the Rockets let Lowry go to Cleveland it means they really can’t trade Brooks. Now they can trade Brooks and make the sort of splash they tried to make last month when they went after Chris Bosh.

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Written by Adam Spolane
Spend most of my time in Houston covering teams in Houston, however in the summer I am a radio broadcaster for the Casper Ghosts, the Colorado Rockies Pioneer League affiliate.